Egisto fabbrini



(No Model.)

E. FABBRINI. APPARATUS FOR CLEANING MALAGA GRAPES & e.

//////////////////////////////////////////////{{{Z?Zz/ lPaferdzed Mar. 28, 1893.

THE mams PETERS ca, morulruo.. wnsumuron. nl L UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EGISTO FABBR'INI, OF NEX/V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WUFFREDO UFFREDUZI, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING MALAGA GRAPES, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,193, dated March 28, 1893. Application ned January 1a, 1892. Renewe rebmry 25,1893. sean 110.465.763. (No man.)

To all whom it may concern: y

New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Apparatus for Cleaning Malaga Grapes, &c.,of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to means for cleaning Malaga grapes, though also adapted for cleaning other grapes and for screening nuts of various kinds.

The object of the invention is to devise an apparatus for the purpose in question, whereby the work may be done better and more economically than it is now performed.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinafter, and the features of novelty for which protection by Letters-Patent is desired are set forth in the claims at the end hereo l f In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a structure embodying myinvention showing the lid of the inclosure thrown back and the front door open, with the several parts in position ready for use, and Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view through the apparatus showin g the front door thereof closed.

The same letters indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a receptacle of the desired dimensions which for convenience for movin g the same is mount'- ed upon rollers a. The receptacle A is provided with a lid B comprising something more than one half of the top surface of said receptacle, and hinged at bin such manner that when thrown back :it will rest flat on the rear portion of the top of the receptacle. On the inside surface of lid B there is secured a barrel rest comprising two concaved cleats c adapted to receive and hold in proper relation to the uncovered portion of the top of the receptacle, within which is arranged the screen, a barrel of grapes or the like to be cleaned.

The front of receptacle A is provided with a door C having suitable latching means applied thereto, and also above said door with ahinged front D, for the purpose hereinafter L stated. The hinges d of the front D are ap- Be it known that I, EGIs'ro FABBRINI, a cit- 1 Vzen of the United States, and a resident of plied to the cross-piece e so that said frontpiece D is adapted to swing outward from the IYlithin receptacle A, immediately below that part of the top adapted to be covered by the lid B, there is arranged a stationary hopper E of tin, zinc or the like, and above said hopper there is arranged a screen G. This screen is adapted to be reciprocated lon gitudinally over the hopper when the front-piece D of the receptacle is swung outward, as indicated in the drawings. Screen G is prevented from upward or vertical movementby the over lapping edges g of the longitudinal top moldings hof the receptacle A, the said over lapping edges and the top surface of the hopper frame furnishing guides for the screen G. When the screen G is pushed clear back into the receptacle its front edge is substantially flush with the front edge of the hopper frame, which latter sits slightly back from the front of receptacle A, thus permitting the frontpiece D, when closed,-to fit snugly under the lid B, and present an appearance flush with the rest of the front of the receptacle. The front of screen G is open as shown in Fig. 1, and may be provided with a bar vl by which it may be conveniently reciprocated. The hinged front-piece' D is held at the proper inclination when opened by means of the chains k as indicated, and the inner surface of said front-piece at its bottom is provided with a metallic plate Z, having its ends bent up, whereby the grapes or the like dropped into the openin g provided by said open front-piece are directed into the receptacle beneath. The receptacle A may be made large enough to contain, besides the barrel H for receiving the sawdust from which the grapes have been freed, a narrow box J filling the space between the barrel H andthe front door() when the latter is closed, and an extra barrel H. The box J is for the purpose of receiving the decayed or discarded grapes that are separated from the bunches during ythe process of cleaning the same. The screen G is open at its front in order to facilitate the removal of the decayed fruit from the screen into the box J, through the opening provided by the suspended front-piece D.

ICO

In using my invention, the barrel of grapes or the like is placed in the position shown, on the cleats c on the inner surface of the lid B, and a sufficient quantity of the contents is shaken into the screen Gr and the latter is then reciprocated so as to separate the sawdust from the bunches of grapes, the sawdust passing through the hopper E into the barrel II below the same. During the screening process the decayed grapes are brushed by the attend ant through the open front of the screen into the opening formed by the suspended front-piece D, and drop into the box J within the receptacle A. The perfect bunches of grapes as fast as the screening is effected are removed by hand from the screen.

By the use of my invention I am enabled to clean a barrel of Malaga grapes much more satisfactorily and in a much shorter space of time than is possible by the mode of cleaning entirely by hand as heretoforepracticed. I refer to Malaga grapes for the reason that my invention was designed particularly for cleaning such grapes, but it is obvious that. it is adapted for cleaning` other kinds of grapes, as well as nuts.

Malaga grapes are always imported packed in sawdust, and it is found necessary to thoroughly overhaul the contents of the-barrels so as to remove any decaying portions from the bunches to prevent loss that would otherwise take place. To detect the decayed portions of the bunches it is necessary to completely remove the sawdust, and this process has heretofore been slow and laborious, and where large quantities have been thus treated necessarily expensive. By my invention I not only economize time and eXpense,but am enabled to do the work much more satisfactorily than when done by hand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. Means for cleaning Malaga grapes dto., comprising a suitable receptacle provided with a lid closing one portion of its top, said lid adapted to rest when thrown back on the rear portion of the top of the receptacle and having upon its inner surface a barrel rest, a stationary hopper below the open top of the receptacle, a movable front-piece opposite the hopper and a screen resting on the hopper frame and adapted to be reciprocated, the said movable front piece permitting of such reciprocation substantially as set forth. i

2. The receptacle provided in the open portion of its top with a stationary hopper and at its top with a hinged front-piece having means for suspending the same in an inclined open position in combination with a screen resting over the hopper within the open portion of the top of said receptacle and having an open front and adapted to be reoiprocated, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with receptacle A having,r an open top portion provided with a lid having a barrel rest on its inner surface, and also having a front door, as C, and a hinged front-piece above said door, as D,of a hopper arranged within the open top portion of `the receptacle, a screen adapted to reciprocate within said open top portion above the hopper, a receptacle for receiving the-screenings from the hopper and a second receptacle arranged between the last mentioned receptacle and the front door C, immediately below the opening provided by the hinged front-piece D, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination withthe receptacle provided at its top with a movable front-piece adapted ,to be fixed in an inclined position and to serve as a guideway as explained, of the hopper, the receptacle beneath the same for receiving the screenings, the reciprocating screen above the hopper having an open front and receptacle J, substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 30th day of December, A. D. 1891.

EGISTO FABBRINI.

Witnesses:

J. E. M. BOWEN, WM. C. BEHRENS. 

